Jesse Alexander, the Santa Barbara–born photographer who captured both the grit and glamor of race car driving in the early 1950s and 1960s in sumptuous black-and-white photographs, has died at age 92. Alexander, whose style remains both immediate and iconic, was born in Santa Barbara in 1929 and was able to combine his two great loves — cars and photography — into a successful career. He didn’t let his international renown get in the way of staying involved, according to Alexander’s many friends, and he collaborated over the years on projects large and small in Santa Barbara, including mentoring many photographers.
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